Charles II of Naples

Charles II of Naples (1254-5 May 1309) was the king of Naples from 7 January 1285 to 5 May 1309, succeeding Charles of Anjou and preceding Robert of Naples.

Biography
Charles was born in 1254, the son of Charles of Anjou and Beatrice of Provence. During the War of the Sicilian Vespers he served as a general of his father, and in 1284 he was captured by Roger de Lauria's Aragonese fleet at the Battle of the Gulf of Naples. In 1288 King Edward I of England mediated between the two rulers, with Alfonso III of Aragon releasing Charles in exchange for keeping Sicily. Charles assumed the monarchy of Naples on returning home, as his father died in 1285. On 19 February 1291, the two sides agreed to the Treaty of Tarascon, where the Aragonese Crusade ended with Sicily being returned to Naples. However, in 1291 Alfonso died before the treaty could be carried out, and James II of Majorca took possession of Aragon, while his brother Frederick II of Sicily ruled over the Kingdom of Trinacria. In 1299, the navy of Frederick defeated Charles at the Battle of Falconaria, and in 1302 the Peace of Caltabellotta divided Naples and Sicily. He died in 1309.